Uninhibitedly delving into your past to help you contend with your current intricate emotions and conflicts can be a frightening, but equally liberating, experience. Not only is the troubled protagonist in the new independent mystery thriller, ‘Backtrack,’ forced to confront how the mistakes of his mistakes are haunting his present and dictating his future, but the film’s writer-director-producer, Michael Petroni, also enthrallingly returned to his native Australia to make the genre film. The filmmaker powerfully embraced filming in his native country, as he set out to explore how the painful decisions people make earlier in their lives harrowingly influence their later actions and mindsets in his latest gripping drama.
‘Backtrack’ follows distressed psychologist Peter Bowers (Adrien Brody) as he and his wife, Carol (Jenni Baird), try to move on with their lives after the death of their young daughter, Evie (Emma O’Farrell). The couple moves into a new home, and he focuses on his work at his psychiatric practice. As Peter struggles with the fact that his child was run over by a car while he was momentarily preoccupied, he’s mysteriously approached by a hooded young girl, Elizabeth Valentine (Chloe Bayliss).
As Peter’s anxieties over his personal life begin to affect his interaction with patients, the psychologist begins to rely on his fellow therapist, Duncan Stewart (Sam Neill). Peter’s mentor helps him realize that Elizabeth, and the rest of his parents, are merely a figment of his grief-stricken imagination, and are actually all dead. As he tries to figure out how they died, and why he’s tied to their deaths, the troubled psychiatrist returns to his hometown, where he reunites with his estranged father, William (George Shevtosv), an alcoholic retired police officer. As Peter relies on the people in his life, including his wife, mentor, father and one of the current officers in his hometown, Barbara Henning (Robin McLeavy), he uncovers the reasons why his past actions and emotions have contributed to his current visions and despair.
Petroni, McLeavy and Shevtosv generously took the time recently to sit down for an exclusive interview at the Gildall Hotel in New York City on the afternoon after ‘Backtrack’ had its world premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. Among other things, the writer-director-producer and actors discussed how Petroni’s complex script that showcases a psychologist contending with his own emotions attracted the performers to the characters’ grief, particularly as their repressed pasts catch up with them; how they enjoyed shooting the mystery thriller independently in Australia, as it allowed them to take creative control over the story, and show how innovative the country’s genre films can be; and how they enjoyed having the thriller premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, as American audiences openly and expressively share their emotions while watching genre films.
ShockYa (SY): Michael, you wrote the script for the new mystery thriller, ‘Backtrack.’ Where did you come up with the inspiration for the story, and what was the overall writing process like for you?
Michael Petroni (MP): In terms of the writing process, I began writing the script purely for myself, just as a writing exercise. I wanted to write something that would surprise the reader, and keep leading them to think that they knew what the film was going to be about. But then I would switch the story up. I think the film has a lot of twists, especially in the first act. It was really just an exercise to see how far I could push that.
But in terms of the story, I began developing it when I was shooting my first feature, ‘Till Human Voices Wake Us.’ That film involves this psychiatrist who comes across a woman who may or may not be a figment of his imagination, or a ghost. So there’s a theme in that movie that shows it as a very romantic story. But there was also this idea that this film would feature a scary version of that concept.
SY: Besides writing the screenplay for ‘Backtrack,’ you also directed the film. How did working on the script influence the way you approached helming the movie?
MP: When you’re writing for a studio, there’s always smoke and mirrors, and you think, Oh, we’ll solve ny problems later when we go to shoot the film and have a budget. But when you know you’re writing an independent film that’s going to have a limited budget, you have to immediately know how you’re going to achieve every single thing as you’re putting it on the page. So you certainly have to be much stricter in your discipline. But that process also helps you be more creative in your solutions.
SY: Robin, you play Barbara Henning, and George, you portray William Bower, in the film. What was it about the characters, as well as Michael’s script overall, that convinced you to take on your roles?
Robin McLeavy (RM): I really loved the script the first time I read it. I have experience in the horror genre, as I also starred in ‘The Loved Ones.’ But that’s a completely different kind of horror film, as ‘Backtrack’ is more psychologically layered. I was really attracted to the ideas of inherent grief, which is a theme that each character deals with throughout the film. Their pasts catch up with them, and they have to deal with anything that’s been repressed throughout their lives. I was really attracted to that idea. While the characters seem somewhat disconnected, that somehow ties them all together.
That’s what initially attracted me to the film, and the rest of it was the team. I’ve been friends with Michael for awhile, and I really love his writing. So the process of working with him was unlike any other experience I’ve had, especially working in this genre. The way he directed it really emphasized the psychological element. His process of working with everyone is very tender. The characters all have a fragility to them, and Michael was amazing at facilitating that, especially when he works with the actors.
George Shevtsov (GS): I was drawn to the extraordinary richness of the characters, and the relationship between the father and son, as well as their pasts. Their relationship is full of so many fascinating details.
SY: Speaking of the distinct relationships in the film, which thrives on its psychological elements, were you all able to have any rehearsals together, in order to develop the characters’ bonds?
RM: We did have a few rehearsals.
MP: We had a couple weeks’ worth of rehearsals. We were lucky to have that in our schedule.
GS: Robin and I spent some time together, talking about our characters’ relationship. We had enough time to develop their connection. Then Adrien came in.
MP: Yes, Adrien came in a week before we began shooting. We were lucky to get that time, due to his schedule. But he came in very prepared and worked hard, particularly on his accent, which he perfected.
GS: It was flawless.
MP: I was very impressed with his accent. You’re always nervous about how someone’s going to play the Australian accent. Australians are so fussy about other actors coming in and doing their accent; they can reject a performance if the accent isn’t good enough. But Adrien did such a marvelous job.
The response to Adrien’s performance at the few screenings we’ve had so far in Australia has been incredibly positive, particularly towards his accent. When we were on set working with him, we weren’t even aware that he wasn’t speaking in his natural voice.
SY: Speaking of how ‘Backtrack’ was shot in Australia, in New South Wales and Sydney, Michael, the film marks the first time you returned to film in your native country in more than a decade. What was the process of filming on location in Australia, particularly for you Michael and Robin, since you both come from there?
RM: Well, I’ve been on ‘Hell on Wheels’ on AMC for five years now. So I’ve been working with a Canadian crew and American writing team and producers. So going home to shoot at home in Australia was an absolute treat. The camaraderie between the crew is something I really look forward to, and we had that bond with our crew.
MP: I was really looking forward to making this type of film in Australia, and enjoyed the process. There aren’t many genre films that are made in Australia. It’s been a motivation of mine to show that Australians not be afraid of genre films, as they play so well internationally. ‘The Babadook‘ is another example of how, if you embrace a genre, you can get a lot of people to watch your films.
SY: What was the experience of making ‘Backtrack’ independently-do you all feel like it helped, or hindered, the creative filmmaking process?
RM: I think when you work on independent films, you’re passionate about the script, and you love the people you’re working with on the project. I feel like I always want to give my best, and do as much research as possible. I want to spend as much time with everyone as possible, and bring all my creativity to it. It’s definitely enhanced, because it’s like you’re a family, and you’re creating this baby together.
MP: I’m also one of the producers on the film, which helps because there isn’t anyone looking down over your shoulder, saying “You should do things this way.” That process is very liberating. Screen Australia, which is one of the film’s financiers, let us do what we wanted.
But the flip side to that is that it means everything’s your responsibility. That’s a bit of a burden to carry when you’re a producer and the director of an independent film. You’re wearing two hats, so at times, you’re fighting yourself. You want the best for your film, but you also have to be incredibly pragmatic.
SY: What was the process of creating the look of the ghost world Peter sees throughout the film?
MP: I wanted to be really specific about the world we were creating, particularly the look and feel of it. The idea of the film is that this psychological ghost world around the main character was also very present in his real world, so there isn’t much distinction between them. So what that ended up doing was make the real world creepier. When you combine those two worlds, instead of distinguishing them, everything is then viewed with that feeling.
SY: What does it mean to you all that the thriller premiered here in America at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival? How have audiences who have seen the film here at the festival responded to it?
MP: I was really looking forward to the American response before we came here, as audiences’ reactions to these types of films here are usually different than the ones in Australia. I think Australians are a little hesitant about embracing genre films, and it’s almost like a guilty pleasure for them. But as a whole, Americans really embrace the genre wholeheartedly.
RM: I invited some of my close American friends to the premiere here. They were screaming and clutching onto me. (laughs) It was a really good test to see their response. It’s really exciting to be a part of this festival.
GS: This isn’t a criticism, but Australian audiences tend to be very reserved, and sometimes frightened to express themselves, and show how they’re feeling. I don’t know why, but they’ve very repressed, and feel like someone’s watching them. But American audiences just respond, and let things out. But that’s what it’s all about to be in the audience-to feel the electricity. So it’s nice to have that openness amongst the audience here.
Written by: Karen Benardello